We received a new Catalyst 15.11.1 beta driver to use with the R9 380X and we wanted to make time to test the ASUS Strix R9 380X DirectCU II at both reference clock speeds and when overclocked to the limit.
Even though ASUS have overclocked the solution out of the box, there is clearly some additional headroom available via software. All results in this review today will show reference speeds, alongside our manually tweaked speeds above.
Tags Review
When Intel launched Lunar Lake (Core Ultra 200V) in 2024 we gave you the technical details and followed up with a review of the Asus Zenbook S 14 which has incredible battery life. In the following month we discussed Intel Arrow Lake (Core Ultra 200S) and how we considered it was unfit for review in a situation that was not resolved until February 2025. On the one hand we have Lunar Lake which we like, while on the other hand we have Arrow Lake which is troubled, yet both families of processors run on Lion Cove P-cores and Skymont E-cores and have a huge amount in common.
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Would you agree that at this point is maybe pointless to upgrade GPU. I wanted to buy this card and although performance is there i think that would very much regret the purchase. I’m reffering to upcoming GPUs next year.
I would not agree, honestly. I am of the opinion that one should use what they have until they are unhappy with the experience they’re getting with what they have, and then upgrade with what’s out now.
Unless there’s an I-have-to-have-the-newest-thing going on – which is perfectly okay, too, and which I’m occasionally guilty of – there’s no real need to upgrade anything if you’re happy with what you’ve got.
And personally, I think the “wait to see what the next new thing looks like before making a decision” is a neverending game to play, especially with graphics cards. With the 380x, AMD’s new(ish) lineup is pretty much complete (except for the presumed dual-Fiji card), but Nvidia’s Pascal is, metaphorically speaking, right around the corner. But when Pascal comes out, AMD’s Arctic Islands will be right around the corner. And when Arctic Islands comes out, Nvidia’s Volta will be right around the corner. Ad nauseam.
IMHO, if you want to wait for Pascal or Arctic Islands, and will enjoy your current gaming experience while you wait, then do it. I don’t blame you. But make up your mind to purchase *something* after it comes out. If it’s revolutionary, and at a cost you can afford, you’ll be darned glad you waited. If it doesn’t live up to the hype, and 980s are dropping in price and would be – and this is the important part – more than enough for what you’re playing and plan to play, then you’ve saved some money and your gaming experience will be much improved.
(And, if you’re looking at dropping 200 on THIS card today, but decide to wait until Pascal, you can stash the 200 you have into the GPU fund, and keep adding to it for the next 6 months – you’ll end up with a lot more money for a lot higher-end card than this one.) (edited because I was thinking in dollars and not pounds. Sorry. lol)
But if you’re interested in buying now, or your gaming is suffering and you *need* something soon, the present generation of cards will still be as powerful as your wallet will allow you. (The setup I’m on is no 16-core 3-GPU powerhouse or anything, but it’s running Fallout 4 maxed out like an absolute champ, so I’m probably not looking at new GPU or CPU or RAM until Arctic Islands or Volta.)
You have valid point. Also, thank you for a nice, big, explanation. I was asking specifically because i’m not that kind of gamer that needs to have the all latest that comes to market… I always keep my hardware atleast 2 years, 3 maybe and that is way i’m somewhat concerned… But your explanation gives me one hell of headache, because i know that i can sell my card to someone. 😀